A gasket is a mechanical seal that fills the space between mating surfaces, generally to prevent leakage of a fluid from or into the joined objects while the gasket is under compression. Gaskets permit “less-than-perfect” mating surfaces on machine parts to be joined without allowing leakage by using the gasket to fill surface irregularities. Gaskets are commonly produced from sheet or molded materials such as paper, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, metal, or a plastic polymer. Some gaskets require an application of sealant directly to the gasket surface to function properly.
In situations where a joint between two mating components is pressurized, sealing of such a joint becomes even more challenging. Additionally, in such pressurized joints, any unintended fluid leakage may lead to functional failure of a system thus being sealed. Typically, such leakage may cause additional inconvenience by creating a fluid spill that necessitates a clean-up. Design and selection of a gasket for a particular application may thus prove critical to the reliability of a subject system and to the satisfaction of the system's user.